Sliding door



.L t e e h S m e e h s 2 T M um m Mn Be EM HS L m d 0 m 0 m No. 494,142.Patented Mar; 28,4 93.

I WITNESSES 'NCfWwwm/ v -IA/ VENTOH l 4 ATTUH/VFY uunms PETERS 00.,mo'ram'na. wasumc'ron a c (No Model L. HENDERSHOTT.

SLIDING DOOR.

2 Sheets-Sheet" 2.

No. 494,142. Patented Mar. 28,1893.

ATTORNEY.

1' NORRIS PETERS coy. PHm'auTuQ. WASHINGTON n. c.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

LOWELL IIENDERSHOTT, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SLIDING oooR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,142, dated March28, 1893. Application filed July 21, 1890. Serial No. 359,466. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOWELL HENDERSHOTT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding Doors, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a door, with a guide frameadjustable as to width and having a series of transverse platesextending from one guiderail toward similar plates extending from theopposite rail and means for locking together the free ends of oppositeplates.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated my invention,similar numerals and letters of reference indicate similar parts.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of one form of my invention. Thisview shows the sliding door as being partially raised. Fig. 2 representsa sectional view of the track or guide frames taken at rog in Fig. 1,and also illustrates the means by which the track is held in place,where it would otherwise be unsupported. Fig. 3 represents in elevation,

a roller such as may be used to reduce fric-' tion in the working parts.Fig. 4 represents, in section, the counter balancing weights andsupporting bracket. Fig.5 represents a rear elevation of one form of myinvention, partially in section, and having a portion broken away.

1-1 are the guides in which the door 2 slides. Projections 3 on thecorners of the door serve to keep the door in the guides 1-1. The rollershown in Fig. 3 may be used to reduce the friction between theprojections 3 on the door and the track 11.

Attached to the lower end of the door at a is a rope, 4, which passesover a pulley 5 fastened to the ceiling. At the other end of the rope,4, is a counter balance weight, 6, equal in weight to about one half theweight of the door, 2. A supplementary weight 7 has an opening,centrally located, through which rope 4 is adapted to pass, but notlarge enough to allow the passage of the other counterbalancing weight.The bracket 8 has an opening 9 large enough to permit Weight 6 to pass,but

too small to permit the passage of the weight 7. Instead of the track llbeing, on each side composed of two rails as shown in the drawings, itmay be made of U iron, in which case the plates 10 will not be used. Theplates 1O serve to fasten the track to the wall and ceiling, and topreserve the proper distance between the rails of the track.

In Fig. 2 1111 are transverse plates, having a sliding connection witheach other, and adapted to be clamped together by means of the clamps 12and 13 and set screws 14 and 15. One end of each plate 11 is rigidlysecured to the rails 1-1, through the intermediancy of the plates 10.This construction allows the securing of the track in position for anydesired width of door, and also serves to retain the rigidity of thetrack or guide at a point where it is not fastened to the wall orceiling.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the door is raised theWeights 6 and 7 lower, the weight 6 passing through the opening 9 in thesupport 8. After the door has been raised so that a portion of theweight of the door 2 rests upon the horizontal rails 1-1, the largerweight 7 comes to rest upon the support 8, and thus preserves thebalance between the door and the oounterbalances. Conversely, when thedoor is lowered, the Weight 6 raises, and passing through the opening inthe support 8 comes in contact with the weight 7 and raises it,preventing a too rapid descent of the door.

I have shown a modification of my invention in Fig. 5. In thisconstruction the door 2 is divided, and is preferably provided withguides or projections at the point of division. In this instance theguides are placed on the upper end of the lower half of the door, and ahinge connection is made between the two parts of the door. It isobvious that if desired, this hinge connection may be dispensed with, inwhich case the upper and lower parts of the door must be separatelyguided within the guide rails l-1.

The object of usinga divided door, as shown in Fig. 5, is to prevent theoccupying so much space in the room, as would be used with a single orundivided door, the divided door following more closely the direction ofthe guides 1-1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patfor locking together thefree ends of opposite ent, isplates substantially as described. 10 The combination with a slidingdoor, of a In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in guide frameprovided with an adjustable presence of two witnesses.

5 clamping mechanism consisting of a series of LOWELL HENDERSHOTT.

transverse plates secured at one end to a guide Witnesses: rail andextending toward similar plates se- J. W; NORTHGUTT,

cured to the opposite guide rail and means, LESLIE E. BAIRD.

